Post-conference Technical Tours

As the owner of many large dams, WaterNSW gives the highest priority to the ongoing safety of its dams to protect people, property and the environment from the harmful effects of failure or mis-operation of its dams and reservoirs. WaterNSW has a Dam Safety Management System (DSMS) that provides a framework for dam safety management activities, decision making and supporting processes. WaterNSW would like to take this opportunity to share with the ANCOLD community some of the innovative work that has been achieved to date. The following topics will be presented alongside the site visit at Warragamba Dam:

• Comprehensive Risk Assessment and the Engineering Analysis input
  • Geological Model –
    • Use and benefit of having good geological models
    • Demonstration of the Model
    • Model to communicate arrangement of dam structure and appurtenant structures at a facility to project team
    • Extracting sections to inform engineering analysis and risk analysis
  • 3D Model
    • Background on the information available and the effort implemented in obtaining this information.
    • Applying engineering judgement to leverage 3D models for use with a different configuration
    • Appreciating uncertainty and refinements offered by 3D models
• Hydrology and Dambreak Consequences
  • Completion of a catchment specific extreme rainfall study to quantify the AEP of the PMP
  • Application of linked spatial and temporally distributed rainfall patterns (space-time patterns)
  • Verification of the Warragamba flood model to key gauges upstream of Warragamba Dam.
  • Application of TUFLOW QPC providing variable model cell resolution for dambreak modelling.
  • Estimation of potential loss of life using LifeSim.
  • Variability in PLL estimates associated with different spatial and temporal distribution of coincident flows
  • Estimation of indirect costs such as loss of water supply
• Operational Risk Assessment
  • Short recap on the ORA framework (summarising ANCOLD paper)
  • Provide some case study operational PFMs to provide insights on how we’ve applied the method.
  • Present a populated draft ORA risk matrix showing plotting position of a sub-set of operational PFMs for Warragamba.
  • Themes that have emerged
  • Demonstrate how initial findings from the ORA has validated the need to supplement the dam QRA and existing business risk frameworks to gain a more comprehensive picture of infrastructure facility risk.
• Application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Dam Safety
  • An overview of the infrastructure at Warragamba and then the dam monitoring involved.
  • Demonstration of DamGuard data management system;
  • Application of AI/ML and the next steps (Key points from ANCOLD paper).
• Application of Hec-LifeSim in Dam Safety Emergency Preparedness
  • Short overview of the Alert Trigger Framework Application to Warragamba Dam (Key points from ANCOLD paper).
  • Detailed explanation of the use of HEC-LifeSim to determine downstream consequences and select appropriate alert trigger levels.
  • Demonstration of HEC-LifeSim models of downstream consequences, and use for conveying consequences to key stakeholders

With thanks to our refreshment breaks sponsor